Introduction/Disclamer about the reviewer:
Please note this is my first review not just on TE, but the first one ever, for any product. The main reason for doing it is since there is not a single one anywhere. There is one at Tech2 but its just the first page. The rest of it is nowhere to be found. Someone has commented about it also, just below it, but that also hasn't been replied to. I also wanted to clear up some misconceptions regarding wireless headphones which I came across while trying to find out more about this product. So if I missed something or if you need more information, just comment below, and I'll try my best to answer each and every one of them.
Please also note that I'm NOT an audiophile. I'm just making observations of its sound quality based on how it sounds compared to the actual sound which is emitted from the source (like the TV). Besides, you don't expect amazing SQ from a product which costs as much(read: as less) as this one does
. I'm happy with it as long as it works (and boy it does )
I was looking for a cheap pair of functional wireless headphones just for late night TV viewing and some convenience of wireless since the TV is pretty far away from the sitting area. Mind you the operative word in the above requirement is "functional". I had a choice of going with either Philips (~2k) or Sennheiser (~4k) but that just didn't sound feasible budget-wise for my requirements. At the same time there was an offer on Tradus (500 off on 1500) and there were other things which I needed. So I decided to go with Mitashi and thought these were worth it for the price even if they last 6 months (the warranty which they come with).
Introduction about the company
First and foremost, Mitashi is not a Chinese company as many would believe. The product was shipped from Ghatkopar in Mumbai sealed with Mitashi's own brown tape. I later looked it up and its the same address as where the company office is located. They have some decent products out there which satisfy majority of the price-conscious public in our country. They started off with making edutainment products for kids like T.V.Video Games, Talking Educational Computers, Hand Video Games, Art Sets, Kiddocam Cameras etc. In recent days Mitashi has ventured into home entertainment products like LCD T.V., DVD Players, DVD / VCD Boom Box Players, Portable VCD / MP3 Players, Home Theaters, MP3 / MP4 Players, Car DVD Player with 7" TFT Screen, Wireless Headphones, FM Radio's Plus Audio and Video accessories.
And lastly, an introduction about the product:
Taken directly from their website: Wireless Headphones, Mitashi Cordless Headphone
There are basically three types of wireless headphones:
1. Radio Frequency (RF) based
2. Infra-Red based
3. Bluetooth based
The MH5001 fall under the first type. This means that there is no requirement for line-of-sight contact with the transmitter. This also helps the headset to serve as an FM receiver which can play FM radio when needed.
Specifications:
Transmitter
Frequency: 86 +/- 0.5MHz
Modulation mode: FM
Distance: ≤ 8m
Reception from any audio and visual equipment with audio out, such as TV, DVD, VCD, CD. Mp3, PC,... etc
Power: 2XAAA Batteries/USB Power Cable
Headphone
Frequency: 86~108MHz
Reception Mode: FM
Distortion: ≤ 2%
Power: 2XAAA batteries
Unboxing:
There was a total of 3 layers of packing. Brown, plastic coated paper on the outside (that one got torn, so no pics).
Followed by this box:
And then this box:
Here is what was inside:
Everything removed from the packing:
List of parts and accessories:
Build Quality and Design:
The overall build quality is good. A major portion of the headphones as well as the transmitter are made from plastic which doesn't get too dirty. However, the battery cover of the headphone as well as the front portion of the transmitter are made from smooth matte plastic, which does get dirty from finger prints and smudges. The wires are of OK quality but they do have "memory" in that they will retain their shape. There are cushions in the earpieces are well as on the headband which help in the comfort. As expected, the headband is adjustable for people with a longer face. The weight of the headset with the batteries is around 100 grams which is pretty ok, not too uncomfortable for long use.
The Reset and Scan buttons and Volume + On/Off dial are decently sturdy although they do creak a little sometimes. A minor problem I faced was with the buttons being towards the back side of the right earpiece. When I rested my head against the wall, the scan button got pressed and suddenly the TV sound got replaced with FM radio . However, its a minor inconvenience as they can be turned over so that those buttons become the front part of the left ear-piece.
Here are the battery compartments:
Operation:
Lets take a brief look at each of them:
But first, here is the transmitter:
As you can see above, it can also be powered via USB thereby saving 2 batteries. The transmitter cable needs to be connected to audio-out of the source and the switch needs to be set to "Wireless Earphone". If your source is a PC or an MP3 player and does not contain audio-out ports for the above cable, the included adapter cable can be used which can potentially make any device with a 3.5 mm jack as a source.
Once the connections are in place and the transmitter is turned on, you need turn on the headphone using the volume dial, then press "Reset" and then the "Scan" button on the headset. You will be able to hear your source from the headset. Pressing "Scan" again will scan for more FM frequencies and you will get the FM radio of your city. It scans from low frequencies to high. Since there is no display, its difficult to ascertain which station you're listening to.
The headset also contains a 3.5 mm jack so you can plug in your own audio equipment into it. Due to its range, this feature comes really handy if you're having trouble in finding an audio extension cord. The range is discussed in the next section.
Wireless Chatting and Wireless Monitor
The transmitter also contains a microphone. Just flip the switch to the required setting and it will act accordingly as a baby monitor or as a chatting equipment. While chatting, the microphone cable (included) needs to be connected from the transmitter to the PC microphone jack. Obviously, you need to point your mouth towards the transmitter mic while speaking
Here is the User Manual in case I wasn't too clear while explaining the features above:
Range.
This is the most impressive feature of the MH5001 and that is why I decided to make a separate section to emphasize this. Consider this... My PC in my room is in one extreme of the house. I connected the transmitter to my PC and took the headset to the other extreme, the kitchen. Total distance between them would be around 20 feet with 2 thick walls, 1 metal cupboard and 1 wooden kitchen unit in between. In spite of all this, the sound was crystal clear without any disturbance. This is the beauty of RF, no line of sight needed. I think it works on the same principle as iTrip (the ipod accessory to broadcast FM from your ipod). The sound quality is also decent for a product of this price. There is some bass, clear mids and good treble. I won't be using them for listening to music, just for TV viewing, so I don't really care. Increasing the volume on the TV using the remote, increases the output you hear in the headphones, so you don't need to fiddle much with the volume dial.
Pricing and Conclusion
I used to think that this would be another Chinese (toy) product but I was completely proven wrong. The MH5001 does what it promises and more. It is priced at an aggressive Rs. 595 on Tradus. I got it in an on-going promotion for much less and boy did I get my money's worth! The initial set up is slightly tricky to understand but the manual does a good job of explaining it. The Philips and Sennheiser ones are IR based and so I really doubt they would get any sort of range and also they might need constant realignment if you move even in the same room. There are other Sylvania RF based ones on ebay which are above 2k (more than 5 times the amount I got these for).
If you're not too concerned about brand and sound quality and just want a cheap working solution, look no further than the MH5001.
Do let me know your feedback guys
Please note this is my first review not just on TE, but the first one ever, for any product. The main reason for doing it is since there is not a single one anywhere. There is one at Tech2 but its just the first page. The rest of it is nowhere to be found. Someone has commented about it also, just below it, but that also hasn't been replied to. I also wanted to clear up some misconceptions regarding wireless headphones which I came across while trying to find out more about this product. So if I missed something or if you need more information, just comment below, and I'll try my best to answer each and every one of them.
Please also note that I'm NOT an audiophile. I'm just making observations of its sound quality based on how it sounds compared to the actual sound which is emitted from the source (like the TV). Besides, you don't expect amazing SQ from a product which costs as much(read: as less) as this one does
. I'm happy with it as long as it works (and boy it does )I was looking for a cheap pair of functional wireless headphones just for late night TV viewing and some convenience of wireless since the TV is pretty far away from the sitting area. Mind you the operative word in the above requirement is "functional". I had a choice of going with either Philips (~2k) or Sennheiser (~4k) but that just didn't sound feasible budget-wise for my requirements. At the same time there was an offer on Tradus (500 off on 1500) and there were other things which I needed. So I decided to go with Mitashi and thought these were worth it for the price even if they last 6 months (the warranty which they come with).
Introduction about the company
First and foremost, Mitashi is not a Chinese company as many would believe. The product was shipped from Ghatkopar in Mumbai sealed with Mitashi's own brown tape. I later looked it up and its the same address as where the company office is located. They have some decent products out there which satisfy majority of the price-conscious public in our country. They started off with making edutainment products for kids like T.V.Video Games, Talking Educational Computers, Hand Video Games, Art Sets, Kiddocam Cameras etc. In recent days Mitashi has ventured into home entertainment products like LCD T.V., DVD Players, DVD / VCD Boom Box Players, Portable VCD / MP3 Players, Home Theaters, MP3 / MP4 Players, Car DVD Player with 7" TFT Screen, Wireless Headphones, FM Radio's Plus Audio and Video accessories.
And lastly, an introduction about the product:
Taken directly from their website: Wireless Headphones, Mitashi Cordless Headphone
There are basically three types of wireless headphones:
1. Radio Frequency (RF) based
2. Infra-Red based
3. Bluetooth based
The MH5001 fall under the first type. This means that there is no requirement for line-of-sight contact with the transmitter. This also helps the headset to serve as an FM receiver which can play FM radio when needed.
Specifications:
Transmitter
Frequency: 86 +/- 0.5MHz
Modulation mode: FM
Distance: ≤ 8m
Reception from any audio and visual equipment with audio out, such as TV, DVD, VCD, CD. Mp3, PC,... etc
Power: 2XAAA Batteries/USB Power Cable
Headphone
Frequency: 86~108MHz
Reception Mode: FM
Distortion: ≤ 2%
Power: 2XAAA batteries
Unboxing:
There was a total of 3 layers of packing. Brown, plastic coated paper on the outside (that one got torn, so no pics).
Followed by this box:
And then this box:
Here is what was inside:
Everything removed from the packing:
List of parts and accessories:
- Transmitter
- Wireless Headphone
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
- Audio adapter cable
- USB power cable
- Microphone cable
Build Quality and Design:
The overall build quality is good. A major portion of the headphones as well as the transmitter are made from plastic which doesn't get too dirty. However, the battery cover of the headphone as well as the front portion of the transmitter are made from smooth matte plastic, which does get dirty from finger prints and smudges. The wires are of OK quality but they do have "memory" in that they will retain their shape. There are cushions in the earpieces are well as on the headband which help in the comfort. As expected, the headband is adjustable for people with a longer face. The weight of the headset with the batteries is around 100 grams which is pretty ok, not too uncomfortable for long use.
The Reset and Scan buttons and Volume + On/Off dial are decently sturdy although they do creak a little sometimes. A minor problem I faced was with the buttons being towards the back side of the right earpiece. When I rested my head against the wall, the scan button got pressed and suddenly the TV sound got replaced with FM radio
. However, its a minor inconvenience as they can be turned over so that those buttons become the front part of the left ear-piece. Here are the battery compartments:
Operation:
- The MH5001 can act as all of these things:
- Wireless Headphones
- Wireless Chatting equipment (voice)
- Wireless baby monitor
- Source for your wired headphone/earphone
- Wireless FM radio
Lets take a brief look at each of them:
But first, here is the transmitter:
As you can see above, it can also be powered via USB thereby saving 2 batteries. The transmitter cable needs to be connected to audio-out of the source and the switch needs to be set to "Wireless Earphone". If your source is a PC or an MP3 player and does not contain audio-out ports for the above cable, the included adapter cable can be used which can potentially make any device with a 3.5 mm jack as a source.
Once the connections are in place and the transmitter is turned on, you need turn on the headphone using the volume dial, then press "Reset" and then the "Scan" button on the headset. You will be able to hear your source from the headset. Pressing "Scan" again will scan for more FM frequencies and you will get the FM radio of your city. It scans from low frequencies to high. Since there is no display, its difficult to ascertain which station you're listening to.
The headset also contains a 3.5 mm jack so you can plug in your own audio equipment into it. Due to its range, this feature comes really handy if you're having trouble in finding an audio extension cord. The range is discussed in the next section.
Wireless Chatting and Wireless Monitor
The transmitter also contains a microphone. Just flip the switch to the required setting and it will act accordingly as a baby monitor or as a chatting equipment. While chatting, the microphone cable (included) needs to be connected from the transmitter to the PC microphone jack. Obviously, you need to point your mouth towards the transmitter mic while speaking
Here is the User Manual in case I wasn't too clear while explaining the features above:
Range.
This is the most impressive feature of the MH5001 and that is why I decided to make a separate section to emphasize this. Consider this... My PC in my room is in one extreme of the house. I connected the transmitter to my PC and took the headset to the other extreme, the kitchen. Total distance between them would be around 20 feet with 2 thick walls, 1 metal cupboard and 1 wooden kitchen unit in between. In spite of all this, the sound was crystal clear without any disturbance. This is the beauty of RF, no line of sight needed. I think it works on the same principle as iTrip (the ipod accessory to broadcast FM from your ipod). The sound quality is also decent for a product of this price. There is some bass, clear mids and good treble. I won't be using them for listening to music, just for TV viewing, so I don't really care. Increasing the volume on the TV using the remote, increases the output you hear in the headphones, so you don't need to fiddle much with the volume dial.
Pricing and Conclusion
I used to think that this would be another Chinese (toy) product but I was completely proven wrong. The MH5001 does what it promises and more. It is priced at an aggressive Rs. 595 on Tradus. I got it in an on-going promotion for much less and boy did I get my money's worth! The initial set up is slightly tricky to understand but the manual does a good job of explaining it. The Philips and Sennheiser ones are IR based and so I really doubt they would get any sort of range and also they might need constant realignment if you move even in the same room. There are other Sylvania RF based ones on ebay which are above 2k (more than 5 times the amount I got these for).
If you're not too concerned about brand and sound quality and just want a cheap working solution, look no further than the MH5001.
Do let me know your feedback guys
